Brake mechanism



June 14, i938; @KHAVUSE 2,120,911

BRAKE MECHANISM Filed June 3, 1936 www ` Patented June 14, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Y 2,120,911 v BRAKE MEcHANlsM Gilbert K. Hause, Dayton0hio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of.Delaware Application June 3, 193s, serial No; 83,185 .5 claims. (criss- 152) This invention relates to brakes and particularly to internal expanding brakes for use on vehicles.

An object of the invention is to provide brake mechanism associated with a rotating drumV whereby much the larger part of the annular ,drum surface is frictionally engaged to retard drum rotation. A further object is to provide the same effec` tive retarding action for' either direction of drum` rotation.

- As a further object the invention aims to minimize manual effort through the instrumentality of servo shoes adapted to be brought into drum contact by manual effort and to themselves actuate the main shoes.

Still further the main shoes are designed to readily accommodate themselves to the. drumcontour by means o'f an articulated form of an- .;0 chorage.

' Other objects and advantages will be under-A tional brake drum, such a drum asis usually car-` ried by each of the Wheels of a motor vehi le. The drawing shows the .invention applied to o e of the rear Wheels, the similar application to the `front wheels not being illustrated. To the axle housing 9 atthe rear wheels is secured by fastening means I2 an anchor plate II to which is 40 secured a pivot hub I3. 4A light backing plate I5 and a dust and splash shield I1 complete the closure of the drum. Diametrically opposite anchor pins I9 and 2| are carried by the anchor plate I I. Within the drum and positioned to fricv tionally engage its annular Surface 23 are main shoes 2,5 and 21, each `having suitable frictional lining 29. Pivoted upon opposite faces ofthe web of shoe 25 at 31 are links 33 and 35. Limited vmovement about pivot 31 is afforded by a fric- 'tion pin 3| carried by the links and extending through an enlarged opening 33 in the shoe. The ends of links 33 and 35 are recessed to engage anchor pin 2l as seen in \Fig. l'and Fig. 3. A y

chor pin 2i. At its head, yokeli is recessed at 43 to rotatably receive a nut 45 threaded upon a screw I1 forked at its end to engage the web of shoe 21. The nut has external teeth 49. Access to'teeth 49 is had by removing a cap 5I. snapped into plate I5. Rotation of the nut adjusts the shoe clearance since the nutremains in contact with the yoke. Adjacent the anchor l pin I9, shoe 21 is provided with articulating links 53 resembling in structure and function the links 10 33 and 35. Also adjacent anchor pin I9, shoe 25 has a similar provision for adjustment and for anchoring on the pin I9. This is constituted by yoke 55, nut 51 and screw 59.

A fiat plate 6I has an elongated opening 63 15.

surrounding hub I3 and having a shorterdiameter of such length that yit may be guided for axial movement by said hub, and alsoto be free to rotate about the hub. This plate 5I has an opening 65 freely surrounding pin I9 and is ter- 20 minally provided with a servo shoe 61 adapted to engage the drum when projected radially into contact with the latter. AA second iiat plate 63 has a servo shoe 1I diametrically opposite shoe 61. The two servo shoes are therefore between 25 the adjacentfends of main shoes 25 and 21. It will be observed that the flat plates (plate 69 in Fig. 3) straddle. the anchor pins Within the arms of the yoke and also between the links 33 and 35. These plates on either side of the 30 anchor pins have welded thereto reinforcements 13 and 15 atA their edges. One edge of these plates' with reinforcement 13 engages the head of the yoke 4l between its arms 43. The other edge with its reinforcement 15 engages the end of the 35 y web of the shoe (shoe 25gin Fig', 3).- Plate 39 inwardly adjacent the hub I3 is formed with forked ends 11 and 19 turned over the' adjacent edges of plate 3l so the plates 3l and 39 may reciprocate axially relative to each other but rotate together n as a unit. Between thefend wall 3l Iof plate 3| and the region 33 between the forked ends of plate 39 is located what corresponds to the wheel cylinder of a hydraulic brake applying means.

Tii'ere is a cylinder 35 within which is a hollow 45 piston 31. A cap 39 closes the open end of thepiston and contacts the wall 3i on one side and the ends of the cylinder 35 and piston 31 on its other side. There is a seal29| carried by the cylinder and engaging the 'piston to preventleakage. Suitable hydraulic medium from a onventionall master cylindennot shown passe hrough a conduit 93 in the cylinder 35 through an opening 35. It will be understood that a conventional brake pedal serves as the instrumentality by l,

which the master cylinder actuates the wheel although exceedingly emcient.l It will withstand adjustment.

cylinders. The cylinder is ixed by fastening means 91 to the reciprocable plate 69 and to accommodate itsV motion a suitable opening in the anchor plate is shown in Fig. 2. Springs lSil are attached to the main shoes and to the sliding fiat plates and operate to draw the plates 6|A and 69 together and to release the shoes from contact with the drum. 4 Y

'I'he operation is as follows: The parts may be assumed to be in the positions shown when the brake is not operated. When uid is forced into the cylinder 85 the plates 6| and 69 are forced apart, the movements being equalized, shoes 81 and 'Il engaging the rotating drum. If the drum is rotating counterclockwise, the direction corresponding to forward travel, shoes B1 and 1l are similarly rotated With and by the drum. The upper edge of plate 69 and the lower edge of plate 6I with their reinforcements engage the yokes 4I between their arms and push the main shoes against the drum, these shoes having an articulated anchorage through the instrumentality of links 33 and 35 whereby the shoes may accurately conform tothe drum surface. If the drum is rotating in the opposite directiomboth shoes aresimilarly applied, but in this case, the plates 6I and 68 engage the webs of the shoes and the shoes anchor by means of the articulated adjustable yokes.

By these provisions a single hydraulic wheel cylinder only is required. In either direction of rotation both shoes engage the drum throughout their complete arcuate surfaces. tages of an articulated anchorage is present. The manually applied eilort need be only enough to oppositely reciprocate the plates 6| and 89, whereupon the rotating-drum will serve to rotate the two plates as a unit 'about the central hub,

The construction y to apply the two main shoes. iscomparatively simple and relatively inexpensive severe treatment since so large an area of the v drum is engaged that distortion of the drum is avoided. Preferably the drum is provided with cooling ribs as shown in Fig. 2 to prevent the heat, under the influence of severe frictional engagement, from expanding the drum and lessening the braking vemciency.

Another advantageous characteristic is found in this brake in that.A it avoids the necessity forl A s the lining on the main shoes wears away, a somewhat greater rotation of the servo shoestakes place with no sacrifice in pedal travel, since the only purpose of pedal travelI All the advanis to move the plates 6| and 69 diametrically into drum contact. Also there is no need to adjust the servo shoes `because the travel of lthe wheel cylinder to accommodate the lining wear of the servo shoes is always within the range of movement at thel master cylinder provided by one stroke of the brake pedal.

i I claim:

1. In a brake, a drum, oppositely located main shoes, means to anchor either end of each main shoe, servo shoes between the adjacent ends of the main shoes, means to' force said servo shoes into contact with the drum whereby the servo shoes apply the main shoes in either direction of drum rotation, said anchoring means including anchor pins and articulating links pivoted to said shoes and engaging said pins.

2. In a brake, a drum, oppositely located 'main shoes, means to anchor either end of each main shoe, servo shoes between the adjacent ends of the main shoes, means to force said servo shoes into contact with the drum whereby the servo shoes apply the main shoes in either direction of drum rotation, said means comprising oppositely reciprocable plates carrying said servo shoes and a hydraulic cylinder and piston assembly between said plates.

3. In a brake, a rotatable drum, a fixed anchor plate, Y anchor pins carried by said anchor plate, a centrally disposed hub carried by said anchor plate, main shoes, articulating links between the ends of said shoes and said anchor pins, oppositely reciprocable plates guided by and vfor said main shoes at either Vend and means to spread said servo shoes. to contactl the drum whereby the drumV as it rotates rotates the servo shoes which apply the main shoes for either di-- rection of drum rotation, said means comprising a hydraulic cylinder rigid with one of said servo shoes and a piston therein movable relatively thereto and engaging a part rigid with 'the other servo shoe.

GILBERT K.`HAUSE. 

